by Erin Coulehan, Rolling Stone

I'm predicting this band is gonna break up. Don't know why but I have a funny feeling about this.

Timmy84 said:

lastdecember said:

So theres too much with them to end it, Jon and these guys would wanna one up everyones farewell tour if they were done.

Maybe they'll bring up the reclusive Alec Such like in 2001.

MickyDolenz said:

Interesting that they would postpone shows for Tico, but not for Richie. I think that says something... not sure what.. but something.

As far as them breaking up goes, why would they? I mean, the band has been ruled as a dictatorship by Jon Bon Jovi from the beginning. They could start touring as Jon Bon Jovi with the old members still remaining, or with all new musicians, and I'm fairly certain nothing would change as far as ticket sales go. So why would the old guys just ride it out until the end. The keyboard player guy has been pretty open about the fact that he's just a hire hand, anyway.

Now, are they better with Richie? Vocally, I think yeah. But his guitar playing is not so unique that it can't be done by somebody else. So who know?

Get well Tico!!

Cerebus said:

Interesting that they would postpone shows for Tico, but not for Richie. I think that says something... not sure what.. but something.

As far as them breaking up goes, why would they? I mean, the band has been ruled as a dictatorship by Jon Bon Jovi from the beginning. They could start touring as Jon Bon Jovi with the old members still remaining, or with all new musicians, and I'm fairly certain nothing would change as far as ticket sales go. So why would the old guys just ride it out until the end. The keyboard player guy has been pretty open about the fact that he's just a hire hand, anyway.

Now, are they better with Richie? Vocally, I think yeah. But his guitar playing is not so unique that it can't be done by somebody else. So who know?

I'm not the BIGGEST Bon Jovi fan, but F**K 'EM w/o Richie!!!!! That's like Mick w/o Keith, and Steve w/o Joe. Better yet, Robert w/o Jimmy!!!!! Total bullsh*t!!! Get well SOON, Tico!!!!!

Cerebus said:

If I remember correctly, wasn't it a bit shady the way they dumped Alec John Such?

SEANMAN said:

lastdecember said:

Cerebus said:

Interesting that they would postpone shows for Tico, but not for Richie. I think that says something... not sure what.. but something.

As far as them breaking up goes, why would they? I mean, the band has been ruled as a dictatorship by Jon Bon Jovi from the beginning. They could start touring as Jon Bon Jovi with the old members still remaining, or with all new musicians, and I'm fairly certain nothing would change as far as ticket sales go. So why would the old guys just ride it out until the end. The keyboard player guy has been pretty open about the fact that he's just a hire hand, anyway.

Now, are they better with Richie? Vocally, I think yeah. But his guitar playing is not so unique that it can't be done by somebody else. So who know?

I have to disagree because you cant just plug anyone into that band. Actually ticket sales did suffer, here in the states, not so overseas because the band has pretty much always had that base in every country. Richie is a huge part of the band, and his playing may not be Hendrix, but hes far from a guy that can be shrugged off as on ok player, his solo work demostrated him more as a bluesy clapton like player.

I'm not saying Sambora is a bad guitar player; clearly, he's not. But I don't find him to a unique guitar player at all.

Also, I'm not sure how ticket sales could have been affected since they had been sold before he left, or was asked to leave, and refunds were not offered.

I've figured for many years that Bon Jovi, as a recording and touring entity, would become Jon Bon Jovi and whoever he'd hired to work with him at that moment. I'm actually surprised those four core members stayed together this long.

Lastly, I want to be clear that I'm not hating. I've got nothing against Bon Jovi, Jon, Richie or their fans. They do their own thing and they do it well.

[Edited 9/21/13 22:24pm]

lastdecember said:

SEANMAN said:

If I remember correctly, wasn't it a bit shady the way they dumped Alec John Such?

Shady in terms of the fact that he wasn't showing up to rehearsals missing parts on stage constantly nothing shady about it. The thing was they all didnt air it out in public like other bands.

And as it was mentioned before about the band being hired hands well they are, however they are the wealthiest hired hands ever. When Runaway was released there wasn't even a band the song was literally breaking into the top 40 and still there wasn't a band, then when Jon got signed he put the band together. And yes the band is run like a mafia with Jon in charge but that started in 1992 when they realized they were getting ripped off by their manager. Jon fired him and took the business himself with the bands agreement and made them the wealthiest band from their era while others many others were broke.

Yeah, again, I wasn't hating on any of that, just stating what I knew to be fact. David Bryan has been pretty up front about it for quite some time, but has no complaints because, as far as a "job" goes, that one doesn't suck. I also believe that Jon makes the majority of that money you're talking about, but nobody has anything negative to say about that, either, because he does a VAST majority of the work.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5719350/bon-jovis-tico-torres-undergoes-another-emergency-surgery

Tico back in the hospital for gall bladder surgery. Again, Jon has nice words to say about his absence and return, something that didn't happen so much for this last Richie Sambora absence.

Cerebus said:

lastdecember said:

SEANMAN said:

And as it was mentioned before about the band being hired hands well they are, however they are the wealthiest hired hands ever. When Runaway was released there wasn't even a band the song was literally breaking into the top 40 and still there wasn't a band, then when Jon got signed he put the band together. And yes the band is run like a mafia with Jon in charge but that started in 1992 when they realized they were getting ripped off by their manager. Jon fired him and took the business himself with the bands agreement and made them the wealthiest band from their era while others many others were broke.

Yeah, again, I wasn't hating on any of that, just stating what I knew to be fact. David Bryan has been pretty up front about it for quite some time, but has no complaints because, as far as a "job" goes, that one doesn't suck. I also believe that Jon makes the majority of that money you're talking about, but nobody has anything negative to say about that, either, because he does a VAST majority of the work.

Thats all understood, but my point is more that this isnt a money situation, and again everyone that has been reported on this band since the sambora thing, has been "sources say" and never a name on the sources, i hear "those close to the band" and yet "those close" have no name. My point is the history of this band is that no one gets in that Circle, some people may think that Jon is running with cash but all the members including their bass player whos been in the band longer than original member Alec Jon Such was, and yet their bass player is NEVER featured in band photos because Jon feels its wrong to do that. Jon's cut im sure is the biggest of course because he obviously is the name, and he also writes a majority of the material, though much with Sambora, and with Sambora getting 2 million a month when they tour, which usually is a 18 month tour, thats not bad for being the Guitar player in a band, as for David he was Jon's childhood friend so that would be a tough bond to break.

Cerebus said:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5719350/bon-jovis-tico-torres-undergoes-another-emergency-surgery

Tico back in the hospital for gall bladder surgery. Again, Jon has nice words to say about his absence and return, something that didn't happen so much for this last Richie Sambora absence.

Because the Sambora absence is not a Health one, actually when on the Ellen Show Jon did have great words for Richie. The situation with them is something more than money or someone having a substance problem possibly. If i had to guess its artistic and its ego, Sambora had a solo record out prior to this album coming out, and i almost felt that Richie was pulled into this project reluctantly, as if he still wanted to keep the promo going on his record and hold off on the Jovi record, ALSO an interesting thing, on the American edition of the Jovi cd, there is Jon's solo song "Not Running Anymore" only, but on all other countries RICHIE's single which got more play actually was on all those editions with Jon's, but america Richie's was not featured as a bonus. I think that may have been something that continued an issue with them.

All in all im glad no one is commenting in the band on whats going on, because its their business to work out or not, not for sources to guess on.